Compassion is the Real Answer (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Madrid, Spain (Archive #1785)

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this talk in Madrid, Spain on June 10, 2009. The teaching includes a commentary on the visualization of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), and group chanting of OM MANI PADME HUM mantra. Rinpoche also explained the benefits of compassion and the laws of karma.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Tarzana, California, in 1975. Photo: Carol Royce-Wilder.
Chenrezig Visualization

[Rinpoche and students chant Shakyamuni Buddha’s name mantra for more than five minutes.]

Due to all the three-time merits collected by oneself, by others, may I achieve our kind, compassionate Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment...[gap in recording]

[Rinpoche chants prostration verse to Chenrezig in Tibetan.]

[Rinpoche and group chant OM MANI PADME HUM.]

We’ll visualize Chenrezig on the crown of every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura, asura, intermediate state being, then also yourself, say, beams emitted, beams emitted, okay, then, nectar beams emitted, and then entered in one’s body and mind, as well as same all sentient beings, purified sicknesses, if you have particular sicknesses, spirit harm, then the cause of those—negative karma and defilements—collected from beginningless rebirth up to now completely purified. So same thing, all the sentient beings, numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, intermediate state beings, the same thing happened.

So with that meditation, so generate Thousand-arm Chenrezig on the crown of each sentient being, then constantly purified with that, with that meditation, then we chant the mantra. So request Chenrezig to guide yourself and everybody, your families, all sentient beings, okay?

So that includes, that includes those who are dying now in the hospital, and at home, anywhere, who are dying now, and, who are unbelievable sick, or, so who are experiencing unbelievable, other, so many other sufferings. So good to remember as extensive as possible, their sufferings, okay, and constantly they’re purified.

[Rinpoche slowly chants OM MANI PADME HUM.]

So we chant one mala.

[Rinpoche and the group chant one mala of OM MANI PADME HUM. Recording is interrupted then Rinpoche’s voice is briefly very faint in the background.]

...non-dual with emptiness, so it becomes that. Then, meditate on that, okay. Then, then manifest out, then, the thousand-arm, -eye Chenrezig.

So this dharmakaya, that which is Chenrezig’s holy mind, so, the ultimate guru, then took this manifestation, thousand-arm, -eye Chenrezig, so, say, which is merely imputed by mind, which is merely imputed by mind.

So that means, so that means, nothing exists from their own side. So what appear existing from their own side is hallucination, object to be refuted, gakcha.

So, what exists, what exists is what is merely imputed by mind, by the mind, and so that, then the, then the Chenrezig, and the thousand arm, eye, this pure, holy, pure aggregates, so all that, then every pieces: face, eleven face, and the arms, and legs. However, then, then goes down finer, finer. Then, atoms, then particles of atoms, like the four schools of Buddhist philosopher, the fourth one, Madhyamaka School, the second one, the Prasangika School.

So the Cittamatra School, the other schools, then the atoms have, say, no parts, they believe. But, here, atoms have parts, particles, atom has particles, and those atoms have particles, so it goes on like that. [gap in recording]

So, everything, the aggregates, eleven face, thousand arm Chenrezig, this, so then, even the small parts of the face, small parts of the, pieces of the arms, legs, however, so then goes down to the atoms, and particles of the atoms, however, that you, after some that you cannot see by this eye, cannot see by this eye, so finer and finer; finer and finer, finer and finer, finer, cannot see even by this eye, I mean, when it goes down to the atoms, smaller and smaller, so, only you can see machines, but with not this eye, you see, so like that, so goes finer and finer.

So, anyway, so all this, merely imputed by the mind, mere imputation by the mind.

But what made it to appear real? But when it appears back to your mind, why it appears something real: real face, real arm, real leg, real Chenrezig, existing from its own side, something independent, truly existent, existing from its own side, existing by nature, so all that, truly existent.

So, this is a projection, hallucination, projection by your ignorance, ignorance, past ignorance, concept of true existence left negative imprint on your mental continuum, and then projected, after your mind merely imputed this, merely imputed this and this and this, then it project the true existence, project, you see. So like, on the table, this cloth covered, so like that, the floor, whatever, say, this is plastic? Ah, okay.So, so this floor is covered by plastic, or down below there, earth or something, it’s covered by…. So, so here, same, you see, all this is merely imputed by the mind, but ignorance projected the hallucination, right after [snaps fingers] that second, Chenrezig, a real Chenrezig independent one, truly existent, existing from its own side, existing by nature, or truly existent.

Then also the eleven face, real face, existing from its own side, truly existent, independent. And the legs, the arms, legs, all truly existent, independent, existing from its own side, existing by nature, so in Tibetan term: ?rang zhing gyi thu pa, existing by nature; ?rang ngo gyi thu pa, existing from its own side; truly existent, ?den pa thu wa, so like that.

So, you see, there’s all this hallucination, you projected, so all the, so, Chenrezig, then there’s the aggregates, and the face, and the arms, all that, and then you go more pieces, and more pieces, pieces, pieces, atom, then particle of the atom, particle of the atom, so, so all merely imputed by, all existing in mere imputation, by the mind.

So the, then the, so the, what appears something real, that’s the reality, but what appear something real, say, so, hallucination, projected by, projected from the ignorance, from your ignorance, not somebody else’s ignorance projected to you, not your parents’ ignorance, not your friend’s ignorance, not your enemy ignorance, that’s not harm given by your enemy, no, projected this hallucination.Not by God, not from God. So your ignorance, you see, so made everything real, real in the sense existing from its own side, that’s what’s called gakcha, object to be refuted, okay.

So then, should have understood, should have understanding it’s not true. What, the way it’s appeared to you is not true in reality.

So, when you meditate, Chenrezig, either in front of you, or yourself, so should have this, not only focusing on the Chenrezig holy body, but at the same time, at the same time understanding the way it appeared to you, independent, truly existent, all this/ [brief gap in the recording] /it’s a project-, it’s a project-, it’s decorated, decorated there on the mere imputation or the, projected by your hallucinated mind, ignorance. So that, that’s totally hallucination, you see, do not exist at all.

So even you visualize Chenrezig there, or you yourself Chenrezig, same. So should, it is most important, how to meditate on deity, how to visualize deity, so how to become Vajrayana. If you don’t meditate on emptiness when you visualize deity, then, you see, your mind did not become Vajrayana.

So your mind focusing on the deity’s holy body, that’s method, that’s method, but devoid of wisdom, there’s no, it’s only method, you see, no wisdom. Like a bird with only one wing cannot fly, you need both wings.

So similar, here, only focusing on the deity’s holy body, but wisdom is missing, so your mind meditating on the deity’s holy body, wisdom is missing, so it doesn’t become Vajrayana, inseparability of two, method and wisdom, so vajra, inseparable, so inseparable, it has to be two, so what it means, method and wisdom, that which is path to enlightenment, method and wisdom, the path to enlightenment, unified, the state of unification, okay. So here you need a path, that your mind, yeah, while it’s focusing on the deity’s holy body, which is method, but at the same time, understanding that this, the way it’s appeared, the aspect, or the way it’s appeared to you, this independent, truly existent, existing from its own side, so it’s not true. This is not true. This is total hallucination. So instead of holding this true, so that, instead of holding this true, so that’s the concept of true existence, that become cause of samsara. So to not become that, so then you hold, that same mind focusing deity’s holy body, then understanding all these are hallucination, the way it appeared to you. All this is hallucination, do not exist, like that, from its own side.

So like a magician person illusioned your mind, either with a mantra or either with the materials, with certain materials, then illusioned your mind, illusioned audience mind, senses, so your mind. Then you see the illusion, so golden palace, golden elephant or golden palace or however, beautiful man or woman, whatever, all sorts of things, or mountains of elephant, size of the elephant. Anyway, whatever.

So and, so if you know, if you know this magician person, you see, with the mantra or all those powers, those substances, illusioned your mind, senses, and then to see like that. So, when you know you are illusioned, then, you have appearance, you have the appearance but you know at the same time it’s not true. You don’t believe that it’s true, you don’t let your mind hold on to that true. So that. So at the same time, you have the understanding, it’s appeared but at the same time you’re understanding it’s totally non-existent, not there, it’s not true, see.

So the, how to say, similar, when you’re dreaming, so anyway, so first understand, so that helps, so it, attachment doesn’t rise, attachment, anger, whatever, something, you know, there’s something that you don’t like or something, however, anyway, so that doesn’t cause to, attachment, anger doesn’t rise because you don’t believe it’s true; you don’t allow your mind to believe it’s true, because your mind understands it’s not true, so like that.

Now, exactly the same, in the dream. While you’re dreaming, you recognize, this is a dream, while you’re dreaming, you’re able to recognize this is a dream, okay. So, exactly the same, appearance is there, you know, somebody talking bad about you, somebody talking nasty things about you or complaining you or provoking you or talking your mistakes or somebody praising you or, how you’re beautiful and how you’re so wise and how your, your kindness, or whatever, you see, you’re marvelous, okay, anyway, you’re gigantic, you’re, anyway, I’m joking, anyway, so anyway, you know, so you know this is dream, so it doesn’t affect your mind, it doesn’t affect your mind, you know, the emotion going down, going up and down, all that thing, see, so it doesn’t do that, because you know it’s just a dream, not true, it doesn’t exist, it’s a dream, you see. So it doesn’t bring your emotions high, and then suddenly, then the next minute down, all that thing, you see. So you don’t have that.

So whatever happens, whatever is happening around, around you, your heart has peace. Whatever happening around, somebody who is criticizing you, somebody praising you, somebody putting ointment, somebody doing massage or putting ointment, and then somebody kicked you, or somebody cut in pieces, anyway, so anyway, what’s ever happening, so you know it’s a dream, so it doesn’t, it doesn’t bother to your mind. You ?don’t get angry, attachment, so, and you know this is not true, while this is appearing, like that.

So, it’s very interesting, in the dream, dream is very good, dream is very good meditation, very good meditation, very good meditation, very powerful, and very exact to let our daily life, say, whatever is happening to relate with the life, to daily life, it’s very exact, it’s a very powerful meditation.

So, just my talk got carried out from that, but, from the meditating on deity, but I must come back. But anyway, I thought to mention this one.

In the Seven Points of Thought Transformation, so see, say, [Tibetan]: Look at the phenomena like a dream; look at the phenomena like a dream. That’s very powerful words, like atomic bomb, on this wrong concept, this ignorance, like atomic bomb.

[Tibetan] So, you see, that means, that includes the I, the daily life, cho, the phenomena, existence, so I, self, the action, object. So, if you are walking in the road, I, action of walking, the road. So, [pause] I, then action of eating, action of eating, object, food; I, action of talking, for example, now, I’m talking, so, to you, object, then, see, from your side, I, am listening, action of listening, talk. So, in the daily life always there’s I, action, object, all the time, so, see, so forth, hell, enlightenment, samsara, nirvana, nirvana, problem, happiness, virtue, non-virtue, so everything, so all the phenomena, look at like a dream, [Tibetan].

So, you see, remember, remember, I told you before, when you visualize the deity, so, mere imputation, then the next second [snaps fingers], you don’t see the holy body, the Chenrezig, doesn’t appear to you, doesn’t appear to you merely labeled by mind, doesn’t appear that, that happened just a second before, [snaps fingers] merely imputed by mind, by your mind. But the next second [snaps fingers], you see, it should appear back, it should appear back merely imputed by the mind, should appear back, but that’s not happening. When it appeared back next second, when it appeared back, it appeared back totally opposite, totally false, totally opposite, totally false, not merely labeled by mind, appeared back not merely labeled by the mind, completely opposite to the reality, just a second before, imputed by the mind. [snaps fingers] So, you see, independent, truly existent, existing from its own side, it’s the same, all that, so what’s called gakcha in the Madhyamaka subject.

So, you see, so, say here, I’ll finish this one, then, so here, you see, so, you see, that’s, that same mind focus on the deity’s holy body, deity’s holy body, then, say, understanding, at the same time, the aspect that, however, the, [pause] well, anyway, so, this is existing from its own side, not merely labeled by mind.

However, all this are projection by the ignorance, okay, decorated on mere imputation by the ignorance, okay. So, it’s a total hallucination, so having that awareness, totally non-existent, have to understand that, totally non-existent, you see.

So in the dream, I mentioned about illusion, in the dream, you see, so much, all this appearance, so much, you see, however, I mentioned before, beautiful object, ugly object, indifferent object, so, so if you don’t recognize this is dream, then attachment rises on the beautiful, anger rises on the, anyway, ignorance on indifferent object. When you do not recognize this is dream. But when you recognize it’s a dream, it doesn’t happen, the emotional mind doesn’t arise, so your mind has peace, so like that.

So, for example, in the dream, there’s some sharp things, wood or some sharp things, then if you recognize this is dream you go, you just, because you know that you won’t get hurt, so you go like this, on the sharp things, you see; you know it cannot hurt you.

But if you think this is, but if you think, if you don’t recognize it’s a dream, then if you think this is a real one, this is a real one, exist from its own side, then you get afraid.

So when you recognize it’s a dream, then, it doesn’t hurt, you go on the sharp things, so, I mean, you can do anything so, you can jump through the cliffs or whatever, in a dream, you can do anything, no fear, because you know it’s a dream.

Anyway, so, like that, so you know this, I mean, there’s appearance there, but it’s not true, doesn’t exist, so that understanding, false.

So therefore, exactly like that here, like that. So then, see, so, say, doesn’t exist, it doesn’t exist, that understanding is there.

So, also you can think because this is merely labeled by mind, so, impossible existing from its own side.

However, so your mind focusing on deity’s holy body, at the same time, aware, that this appearing existing from its own side is not true, like recognizing a dream as a dream.

So, then, together, the one mind practicing together method and wisdom/ [gap in recording] /inseparability of two, okay, unified of those two, okay, the one mind. So, say, so it become vajra.

So then, then/ [long gap in recording] /becomes preparation for that, to achieve that, and then, and also, it become cause to achieve the result-time, the unification of no more learning, this unification of the holy body, holy mind, the dharmakaya, rupakaya, so this becomes preparation for that, so like that. So therefore, it brings you to unification of no more learning, so to the full enlightenment, unification of no more learning.

So, therefore, therefore this, your mind, this, your mind is unified of method and wisdom here, when you visualize deity or mandala, anything. So this, so, this becomes a vehicle, this becomes a vehicle that, you see, makes to achieve path-time unification and then result-time unification, no more learning, so you see, so, it brings to enlightenment. So, therefore, this, so therefore, this/ [gap in recording] /inseparability of method and wisdom, focusing on the deity’s holy body, at the same time understanding it’s empty, it has no truly existent nature.

So, you see, yana, vehicle, it becomes vajra, then, yana, vehicle, that which brings you to enlightenment. So like that.

So whether you visualize deity outside, or yourself, so correct way to visualize the deity is this, so, like that, say, otherwise it cannot become vajra, the cause of the, to achieve the unification of no more/ [gap in recording] /[pause].

Yeah, then maybe just finish the practice, okay.

So the, okay, then all the compassion, Compassion Buddha absorbed to numberless hell beings, who are on crown of each sentient being, absorbed to numberless hell beings, numberless HUMry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, suras, asuras, intermediate state beings, they all become Compassion Buddha, okay, we meditate on that. [very long pause]

People next to you, in this room, everybody Chenrezig, so all the human beings, Chenrezig, all the six realm beings, Chenrezig, okay, thousand-arm, -eye Chenrezig.

So now we chant some mantra, with this mindfulness, meditation, see, the house, Chenrezig mandala, so everything is transcendented, you see, pure, everything, what appear, Chenrezig, okay. All the noises what you hear, Chenrezig mantra, all the noises, all the car noises, all the car noise what you hear, all the noises, people coughing, all the noises, OM MANI PADME HUM; people coughing is OM MANI PADME HUM, okay; car noise, OM MANI PADME HUM, okay, so everything, all the noises. So, okay? Whatever noise you hear, all the people opening bags, zip noise, OM MANI PADME HUM, okay.

So, anyway, so, OM MANI PADME HUM, all the sound, then your thoughts are Chenrezig’s holy mind, dharmakaya, okay, dharmakaya also. Okay. So everything pure. So, by holding that, then, chant OM MANI PADME HUM, okay? Your thoughts dharmakaya, Chenrezig’s holy mind, the absolute guru, okay.

We, already visualized, we did the meditation enlightened all sentient beings, okay, achieved Chenrezig, thousand-arm, -eye Chenrezig, so keeping that visualization.

So this is my mother’s chanting. You know, my mother, Solu Khumbu, Lawudo? Her chanting this.

[Rinpoche chants OM MANI PADME HUM, using his mother’s chanting.]

Then, so we dedicate the merits: Due to all the past/ [gap in recording] /liberation from, and including the cause, karma and delusions, and full enlightenment, all these four levels of happiness towards numberless hell beings, numberless hungry ghosts, numberless animals, numberless human beings, numberless sura beings, numberless asura beings, numberless intermediate state beings. So you the one person can accomplish this, okay, by having bodhicitta, all this happiness up to enlightenment, to the numberless, to each and every single sentient beings, okay.

So may this bodhicitta be actualized within one’s own heart, in the hearts of one’s own family members, then you can think of anybody whom you want to pray, your friends or enemy, you want to pray for enemy, who doesn’t love you, or who hates you, whom you hate, so, to pray for the enemy is so good, it’s so good, it’s fantastic, it’s yum yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, praying for the enemy, or yummy, yummy.

So, anyway, so it’s so good, so, then for, specific prayer, specific person you want to pray, for example, like bin Laden, to generate bodhicitta in the heart of bin Laden, or, you see, like that, example, I mean, like that, so, that world people, do not like, somebody, everybody hates him, you see, you pray, bodhicitta to generate, okay.

So, anyway, bodhicitta to be generated in the hearts of all the sentient beings, okay, or, in the hearts of all the sentient beings, without delay even a second, and bodhicitta, in whose heart bodhicitta is generated, may it be increased, okay. So we do that, we do that dedication, okay.

Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe.… [long pause]

And we pray, particularly we pray, we dedicate our merits: all the past, present, future merits collected by, three-time merits collected by others, may the bodhicitta be actualized in the heart of all the leaders of the world, and especially the leaders of Mainland China, bodhicitta to be actualized in their hearts, okay, without delay even a second./ [gap in recording] /Why you pray, it’s important because in one country, one city, there’s so many millions of people in one city, so in one country, there’s so many, so they will have perfect peace and happiness, and they will be led in the correct path to peace by the leader, okay, so if the leader has bodhicitta. So makes huge differences to the/ [gap in recording] /Not only that, but all the whole world is connected, dependent each other, you see, by economics, by many things, dependent each other. So, therefore, one country has so much peace and happiness, then that also affect to other countries, so like that. So it’s very important to pray this.

Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe.…

Now third, important, Due to all the past, present, future merits collected by me, all the three-time merits collected by others, others means numberless sentient beings, including numberless bodhisattvas, okay, and then on top of that, all the buddhas, so others means everybody, sentient being or buddha.

All the merits, due to all these merits, then, may the bodhicitta be actualized in the hearts of all the, each and every single person who follow different religion in this world, bodhicitta to be actualized, that’s so important, that prayer.

Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe.… [pause]

So this world, filled with perfect peace and happiness, and everybody live their life only benefiting each other, no harm. And whatever they do, only become cause of enlightenment, and cause of happiness of all sentient beings. 

And war, poverty, economical problems, torture, then, sicknesses, and dangers of fire, water, air, earthquakes, so all these, all these things, wherever it’s happening, wherever it’s going to happen, may all this be pacified immediately, may all this be pacified immediately, may nobody in this world experience this forever. We pray this. [long pause]

The shortest one.

So anyway, I’m going to, the quotation which I started, I’m going to mention that, since I talked about that, since I made some noise on that.

So, so, good afternoon, good evening.

So, because I didn’t see Lama Osel for a long time, so I was coming, since I’m in France, near, so I thought to come to see Lama Osel, so then...